Authors

Abstract

This paper quantifies relationships between health and traditional ecological knowledge/practices in a Mopan Maya community in southern Belize, illuminating how changes in daily practices might be related to changes in wellness. Findings from statistical analyses of data related to household practices are presented. These data were collected using a Likert survey designed based on previously collected ethnographic and pile sort data related to health and heritage, and then administered to households in the community (n=64). The paper concludes that the data, while exploratory, show links between higher scores on both the health and heritage indices and warrant further engagement with these connections when considering how we define both health and ecological heritage in indigenous, and broader, communities.